If you have decided to get a parquet floor,Surely you are asking yourself how to care for such a flooring. Many people think that caring for parquet is a rather long and labor-intensive process, but in fact, everything is not so difficult. For example, during regular daily cleaning, you can simply vacuum or sweep the floor with a soft brush. But what to do with scratches and deep dirt that a simple broom cannot handle? Let's try to figure out how to properly maintain and care for parquet. With proper use and care, a warm and comfortable parquet floor can serve you for more than 60 years. Parquet can be easily restored by grinding. It is quite easy to care for such a flooring, but changes in temperature and humidity can negatively affect it. Parquet flooring is especially susceptible to damage in the humid autumn-spring period. Different types of wood react differently to temperature changes, oak flooring is the most stable. There are several types of parquet flooring: panel, mosaic, block and parquet board. The most common is block parquet, which can be seen in most houses. Parquet flooring is universal, consists of individual boards or strips. The color and shade of the parquet depends on the properties of the wood from which the parquet is made. Usually, parquet flooring is made of hardwood oak, ash, hornbeam, beech. Other types of wood can also be used to make parquet: birch, pine, larch. But such floors have a big drawback - it is quickly damaged and much more difficult to care for. Parquet floors can be used in rooms for any purpose. Be it a bedroom, kitchen or living room, you just need to choose the right type of flooring and wood species. For damp rooms, it is worth using Chapel Parcket floors. This parquet is made of solid wood and impregnated with a special compound, which helps prevent the harmful effects of moisture. For frequently visited rooms, it is also advisable to use solid parquet boards made of hardwood. Parquet floors are not cheap, but they can last for decades.
Prevention and protection of parquet
When using parquet after some timemicro-scratches, abrasions and other defects appear on its surface. This is inevitable, but the appearance of damage can be delayed for as long as possible. To do this, you need to follow a few simple rules and use high-quality parquet care products. To preserve the varnish film, you can use wax polishes, parquet oils, preparations similar to highly diluted varnishes. The best solution in parquet care is to prevent possible factors of damage and wear of floors. Of course, the best way to protect is carpets in front of the door and inside the house. This way, you will prevent dirt and excess moisture from getting on the floor and penetrating directly into the parquet. It is advisable to protect floors from scratches, dents and wear. For this, it is useful to stick soft felt "footrests" on the furniture legs. Avoid walking on the parquet in stiletto heels - this can damage the surface of the parquet. Parquet boards should be used at a temperature of + 20-24 C, humidity no more than 60%. Wood for making parquet is very sensitive to climate changes - this can cause deformation of the parquet. It is very important to know how to wash the parquet correctly. When caring for the parquet, avoid water. Wood reacts very strongly to humidity, so when cleaning the floor, do not use a lot of water, use it only to wet the rags. It will be enough to spray water from a spray bottle. The rag for washing the floor should be damp enough to not leave excess moisture on the parquet. It is important to remember: the floor should become dry literally a minute after cleaning. If water spills on the parquet, you should wipe it up immediately.
Parquet cleaning
We should start with a description of parquet flooring care.varnished floor. It is not recommended to wet clean parquet that is varnished for the first or second time. Use a vacuum cleaner for cleaning until the varnish has hardened. Furniture should be brought into a room with parquet flooring only after two weeks have passed since the parquet was varnished. Stick felt pads on the furniture legs and put special plastic footrests under the furniture wheels (they can be bought at any home improvement store). Varnished parquet needs to be updated once every 5-10 years: sanded and re-varnished. This must be done, because if the varnish wears off completely, the wood will darken and this cannot be changed in any way. In some cases, the darkening can be removed by sanding, but this will not help if the darkening is significant. Damaged pieces of parquet can be replaced, but where is the guarantee that you will find exactly the same shade of parquet board? You can replace the parquet patches, but they are likely to be very noticeable. Oiled parquet requires almost the same care as varnished parquet. You can vacuum the parquet. Wet cleaning is only possible with special chemicals, but not with water. The protective layer of oiled parquet should be renewed once every 6-8 months, without preliminary sanding. The floor requires the use of the same felt toes and mats as for varnished floors. Laminated parquet also requires special care. It does not tolerate exposure to water, moving furniture, pins, and attempts to clean it with powders and alkali. It is preferable to dry clean and care with special products. There are special sprays for the care of laminated parquet. And never use a vacuum cleaner with a steam cleaning system to care for laminate. In case of heavy contamination or greasy stains on it, you need to use liquid laundry soap and pastes for the care of laminate.
Parquet treatment
Very often, parquet boards shrink andswell, producing an unpleasant squeak. This happens due to non-compliance with the humidity and temperature conditions, which were mentioned earlier. There are several ways to create an optimal temperature in the room. Firstly, get more green plants. They are natural climate regulators. Secondly, aquariums, indoor fountains will help control the humidity in the air, and your parquet will remain safe and sound. One of the most damaged areas of the parquet floor is in front of the threshold, at the entrance to the room from the street. Buy two mats: a hard one, for removing hard particles of dirt from shoes, and a soft one - to absorb dirt and wet slush. This simple purchase will help you prevent damage to the parquet floor. Dust is one of the most harmful factors for parquet. Regular vacuuming will help to cope with this "enemy of parquet". Wipe the floor with a damp (but not wet) cloth. Choose soft warm slippers for walking around the house. This way you will avoid scratches on your favorite parquet flooring. It is recommended to wipe varnished parquet with a soft cotton cloth, a hair brush or a well-wrung out rag. Never use abrasive materials. It is not recommended to clean parquet floors with detergents or dishwashing detergents, as well as chemical solvents, alcohol and gasoline. You should not do a general cleaning of the parquet every week. A thorough cleaning is only necessary when the parquet is very dirty or there are hardened dirt stains that are difficult to wash off with regular cleaning. Only in this case should you use a paste or a special stain remover for varnished floors. Everyday care of the parquet floor should be gentle and not too intensive, otherwise you will simply wear out the coating ahead of time. If minor scratches appear on the parquet flooring, immediately use a special restorative paste designed for cosmetic repairs of parquet flooring. The restorative paste is applied to the parquet board with a spatula, immediately removing excess paste. If the damage to the parquet is deeper, fine sanding and subsequent varnishing of the parquet floor is used.
Tools for cleaning parquet
For regular cleaning of parquet floors from dirtand dust, special parquet cleaning products are used - cleaners. They can be in the form of aerosols or concentrates. High-quality cleaning products for parquet floor care are neutral to the composition of the varnish with which the parquet is covered, they do not leave streaks and marks on the floor. Protective parquet care products are intended to protect the parquet from damage: soluble and wax polishes. For parquet with oil impregnation, oil, matte and glossy polishes can be used. There are several proven parquet care products. One of the best professional products is Aqua Sport Wood Flor Cleaner, made in the USA. This product can be used for daily cleaning of parquet floors. This parquet care product is designed to clean all types of parquet and other wooden surfaces from dirt and greasy stains. It is also used to clean floors before secondary varnish coating or applying protective agents to the surface. This cleaning product dries quickly and does not require rinsing. A product for cleaning varnished parquet by Rubi (made in Spain) has proven itself well. This neutral detergent evaporates rather quickly and does not harm the parquet. This is one of the best products for caring for wooden flooring. The product has a fresh citrus aroma and is perhaps ideal for everyday care of parquet floors. A good product for washing parquet is Glutoclean Pufas, made in Ukraine. It easily removes dirt, polishes traces of walking and scratches from heels, as well as oil and grease stains. The product perfectly refreshes the floor covering and preserves the natural appearance of the laminate. An excellent water-based product for cleaning parquet with a soft effect is Loba ParckettCare. It is ideal for use in a residential area. It has a pleasant and fresh aroma. This detergent removes dirt and greasy stains, recommended for cleaning parquet board flooring, all types of parquet and elastic flooring. This is an inexpensive and high-quality product for washing parquet floors. After using Loba ParckettCare, it is recommended to use the colorless wax polish Loba ParckettWax. The product closes the open pores of the coating and protects the floor from dirt. In addition, the polish will give the parquet a shine and help protect it from moisture. Such comprehensive care will help keep your parquet in perfect condition. Cleaning parquet floors is easier than cleaning carpets. If you follow these simple rules, eliminate the impact of harmful factors and use only high-quality parquet cleaning products, then caring for the coating will not cause you any special problems. This is all you need to know so that the parquet will serve you for many decades. Keep your parquet floors clean, and they will remain beautiful for a long time. We recommend reading:
